South Park pool home to summer water fitness classes

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

On Wednesday evening, 37 people gathered at South Park pool for some low impact, high intensity workout in the water, Aqua Tabata. 
The class is just one of three types of water fitness classes offered at the city’s South Park pool. 
Tabata is a form of interval draining, originally developed by Izumi Tabata, that involves eight rounds of exercise, with exercise intervals of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off, repeated eight times in the eight rounds, for a grand total of a 48-minute class. 
Instructor Jeannette Valentine led the class on Wednesday and began by asking participants, “What does your body want today? If you’ve had a hard day, maybe you’ll want to have a harder workout to jut let it all out. Or if you’re tired, make it a lighter workout. It’s important to listen to your body.” 
They then began the rounds of Tabata, at one point also using pool “noodles” in some of the rounds, which also involved arm movements, leg kicks and more in the water. 
The idea behind the workouts in the water is to lessen the harsh impact to the joints and other parts of the body, yet boost metabolism through the short, regular bursts of exercise. 
Renata Adams is a big fan of the aquatic fitness classes, and she comes to Copperas Cove from Killeen for the aqua Tabata classes. 
“I come out here for Jeannette. She’s a great teacher, it’s fun, and she really pushes me,” said Adams, who also attends aqua fitness classes at the YMCA in Killeen year round. 
For Adams, the lower impact of the water workouts helps her work on her fitness but helps with her knees. 
“I had knee surgeries six years ago, and my doctor at the time, Dr. Lichota, told me if I was going to do anything, make it water fitness classes. I love it.” 
This is the first summer Aqua Tabata has been offered as a class at South Park pool, and Valentine has been pleased with the turnout, with some classes having as many as 40 participants.  
She teaches Aqua Tabata, as well as Aqua Zumba and Aqua Aerobics. The class lineup is four days per week, with morning and evening sessions depending on the class. Christine Wells and Sherry Haslach also teach Aqua Zumba and Aqua Fitness. 
Those who want to take classes can pay as they go, at a cost of $3 per class at the gate, or can purchase a 10-class punch card for $27 at the Copperas Cove Parks & Recreation Office, located at 1206 W. Ave. B. Preregistration for classes is not required ahead of time, and classes will be held through August 10.
Aqua Zumba is set for Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m., and Thursday mornings at 8:30 a.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. Water Tabata is Monday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. Water aerobics sessions are Monday and Wednesday mornings 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., and Thursday and Fridays at 6 p.m.
South Park pool is located at 2606 Dennis St.